There are loads of creative and unusual baby names out there at the moment. Take many celebrities and you will probably find they’ve chosen a slightly ‘out there’ name for their baby. But do you know the origins of these weird and wonderful baby names (which often have ancient and cultural roots) and will they inspire you with your own baby’s name? Read on to find out more.
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1. Evren
Adrian Grenier (of Entourage and The Devil Wears Prada fame) and his wife welcomed baby Evren Saint-Eros Grenier in March 2025.
Evren is a gender-neutral name with Turkish origins. As well as referring to a dragon-like creature in Turkik mythology that represents power, the name Evren also means ‘the universe’. So this is definitely a powerful name to choose for your baby.
2. Tove – Unusual Baby Names
Lily Collins (Emily In Paris) and American film director husband Charlie McDowell had baby Tove Jane McDowell via surrogate in January 2025.
The name Tove comes from a similar Old Norse name so it has both Swedish and Norwegian roots. Meaning ‘beautiful’ or ‘beloved’, this is a lovely name to choose for a cherished daughter.
3. Athena
Daughter to Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and born in January 2025, Athena’s full name is Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi.
Many people will recognise the name Athena from the famous Greek and Roman goddess of handicraft, wisdom and strategic warfare. So this could be a good choice for a daughter who seems wise!
4. Kasai
Skai Jackson (from Disney Channel’s sitcom Jessie and Bunk’d) had baby Kasai in January 2025.
Did you know that Kasai is a Japanese name that is unisex, though often given to boys? It means ‘fire’ or ‘flame’ so we’d expect babies with this name to be really sparky!
5. Liko’ula
Liko’ula Pā’ūomahinakaipiha is the name of the second child of Ronda Rousey, American professional wrestler and actress, and her husband, retired heavyweight fighter Travis Browne. Travis Browne grew up in Hawaii and his middle name is Kuualiialoha (meaning ‘Prince of love’).
So Liko’ula is also a name with origins in Hawaii. ‘Liko’ means ‘leaf bud’ as well as ‘newly-opened leaf’ while ‘ula’ means ‘red’, so this is the perfect name for nature-lovers.
6. Leodis
Leodis Andrellton Jackson is son to American actress Keke Palmer (One Of Them Days) and ex-boyfriend Darius Jackson.. He was born in Black History Month and his name reflects this.
Leodis comes from the Greek root ‘leo’ while ‘dis’ means ‘like’ or ‘similar’. So Leodis means lion-like. Andrellton refers to ‘Andrew’s town’ and is a name used mainly by African Americans and Latin Americans.
7. Elio – Unusual Baby Names
Elio Ocean Wright Lococo is the name of Bonnie Wright (who played Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter) and Andrew Lococo’s son, who they welcomed in 2023.
An Italian name which comes from the Greek Helios and Aelius, Elio means ‘sun’. So we’d be hoping for babies with this name to have bright and sunny personalities!
8. Royce
Royce Lillian was born via surrogate to actor Rebel Wilson and girlfriend Ramona in November 2022.
Traditionally a boy’s name of English origin meaning ‘a son of a king’ , since the early 2000s there have been many girls with the name Royce too.
9. Cyan – Unusual Baby Names
Cyan Lima Lemmers is the name of Victoria Secret model Adriana and boyfriend Andrew Lemmers’ son, who they welcomed in 2022.
But what is Cyan? It’s a colour on the green-blue spectrum and the colour of baby Cyan’s eyes. So look deep into your new baby’s eyes and see if the name Cyan will suit them too.
10. Sage
YouTuber and Instagram star Tanya Burr and boyfriend welcomed son Sage Gabriel in November 2022.
The gender-neutral name of Sage means not only ‘prophet’ and ‘wise’ but also refers to the famous English herb grown in so many gardens. Perfect for wise babies (and their parents) who love nature.
11. Rumi – Unusual Baby Names
Rumi is the daughter of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, born in June 2017. Rumi’s twin brother is called Sir and her older sister Blue Ivy.
Rumi is a name of Japanese origin which refers to both ‘beauty’ and the blue gemstone ‘lapis lazuli’ and can be given to boys and girls. Rumi was also the name of a famous 13th-century Persian poet.
12. Luna
The name Luna is rising in popularity in the UK and is also the name of singer-songwriter John Legend and model Chrissy Teigen’s first daughter born back in 2016.
Just like magical Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, Luna is a Roman name referring to the ancient moon goddess.
Looking For More Baby Names Inspiration?
Here are some more rare baby names if you want something even more unique for your little one.
What Are The Top Ten Baby Names?
According to Bumps’n’Babies we are seeing lots of names inspired by nature (like Willow), traditional names (like Elsie and Arthur), short names (like Ivy) and multicultural names (like Luca) all gaining in popularity.
Top Ten Girl Names UK (April 2025)
Currently trending girls’ names for 2025 include Isla (1), Aria (2), Lila (3), Mia (4), Freya (5), Ivy (6), Ada (7), Aurora (8), Luna (9) and Evelyn (10).
The most recent official UK list comes from 2023 and is as follows:
- Olivia
- Amelia
- Isla
- Lily
- Ava
- Freya
- Ivy
- Sophia
- Grace
- Willow
Top Ten Boy Names UK (April 2025)
Currently trending boys’ names for 2025 are Arthur (1), Noah (2), Leo (3), Theodore (4), Oscar (5), Albie (6), Ethan (7), Jasper (8), Rowan (9) and Finn (10).
The most recent official UK list comes from 2023 and is as follows:
- Muhammad
- Noah
- Theo
- Leo
- Oliver
- Arthur
- George
- Luca
- Freddie
- Jack
Top Ten Gender Neutral Names UK (April 2025)
Top trending gender-neutral names are River (1), Sky (2), Ellis (3), Quinn (4), Taylor (5), Morgan (6), Rowan (7), Avery (8), Phoenix (9) and Reese (10).
Sources: Office for National Statistics, US Magazine, Cosmopolitan, The Bump, Ancestry, Nameberry, Bumps’n’Babies
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